Friday, December 5, 2014

N.O.R.E. Says He Almost Erased Big Pun's Verse On "Banned From TV"

N.O.R.E. Says He Almost Erased Big Pun's Verse On "Banned From TV"N.O.R.E. hoping to work with Trackmasters again, says he never got a commercial record from the duo.While speaking with WHO?MAG TV, Queens, New York rapper N.O.R.E. shared the details of how his “Banned From TV” record came about. Among the artists featured on the N.O.R.E. record was Big Pun, and according to N.O.R.E., Pun’s appearance on the record wasn’t one that was originally planned.N.O.R.E. revealed that he was in the studio with Swizz Beatz when Big Pun showed up. After Pun arrived, N.O.R.E. took a short break from the studio and upon returning to the studio he found that Pun recorded a verse to “Banned From TV” while he was gone.He explained that when Pun asked if he was going to delete his verse, he responded with “hell yeah,” but ultimately chose not to delete the rapper’s verse.

“I hooked up with this young producer at the time that nobody really knew of,” N.O.R.E. said. “His name was Kasseem Dean, Swizz Beatz…So, I put Nature on the record. And Pun just comes to the studio. And he’s just there, chill. I think I took a [break] to go downstairs and smoke a cigarette, something like that. And Pun just lays his verse. So, I’m like—I’m flipping on the engineer. I’m like ‘Yo, why would you just let this guy just go?’ And you know Pun’s like this. The engineer was like ‘What the fuck am I gonna tell this guy? You want me to tell him no’…So, he like ‘Yo, you gonna erase my verse?’ I’m like ‘Hell yeah, I’mma erase your verse. The minute you leave I’m gonna erase your verse.’”

Prior to sharing his “Banned From TV" story involving Pun, N.O.R.E. revealed that he’s currently looking for Trackmasters, the production duo he worked with heavily at the start of his music career. The New York City wordsmith later recalled the moment he approached the pair about creating a commercial record for him.

“I’m looking for Tone and Poke from Trackmasters,” he said. “I need to find them. I want to kind of recreate that energy. I don’t know where they at. I know they rich. [They] probably own a piece of an island in the Dominican Republic somewhere, but I’m sure they have internet. So, if anybody can find them, N.O.R.E. is looking for the Trackmasters…One of the best stories I have with Trackmasters is I wanted them to give me a single…Give me something I can play on the radio. And I remember they said to me—They said ‘The world blamed Nas for going commercial on Trackmasters. So, the world won’t blame Trackmasters for making N.O.R.E. commercial.’ So, they never gave me a commercial record at all…I feel like I’ve never properly credited Trackmasters for my success.” — HipHopDX